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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Playing With Death in Books
Jun 6, 2019
^^ I am familiar with Simon Scarrow’s Roman novels, so was excited to try this one out, as it is something new from an established author. With Playing with Death, Scarrow is co-writing writing this novel with Lee Francis, and it is NOT a historical novel! My goodness. This could be the death of him, or so I thought. But actually, it wasn’t bad.
^^ This is what I’d call a technological thriller and it highlights how the use of gaming via Artificial Intelligence and virtual reality technology could be detrimental to society, even in our world as it is today.
^^ Rose Blake is an FBI agent with a strange new case to investigate, and it is one that will take her beyond anything she can at first imagine, as murder and online gaming intertwine and the boundaries of what she knows to be true are stretched to the limit. To top it all she is feeling distanced from her husband, Jeff, who works as Senetor Kelly’s media manager with very little downtime, plus her own job is (as you would imagine) very demanding and often cutting into her family time, putting a strain their marriage.
^^ It’s a violent, fast-paced story with lots of twists and turns, and as a lover of thrillers, I thoroughly enjoyed Scarrow’s refreshing change of genre. My dad is a huge fan of Scarrow, however, I’m not sure how he’ll take to this since it’s about technology of which I doubt he’ll be interested in. I’m hoping he’ll try it out though. Saying that, this new genre is a great way to reach out to new readers, who may have not read any of his previous historical books.
Overall: I look forward to seeing if this is the start of a new series, as I would like to see how this enjoyable book, develops into more exciting stories.
^^ This is what I’d call a technological thriller and it highlights how the use of gaming via Artificial Intelligence and virtual reality technology could be detrimental to society, even in our world as it is today.
^^ Rose Blake is an FBI agent with a strange new case to investigate, and it is one that will take her beyond anything she can at first imagine, as murder and online gaming intertwine and the boundaries of what she knows to be true are stretched to the limit. To top it all she is feeling distanced from her husband, Jeff, who works as Senetor Kelly’s media manager with very little downtime, plus her own job is (as you would imagine) very demanding and often cutting into her family time, putting a strain their marriage.
^^ It’s a violent, fast-paced story with lots of twists and turns, and as a lover of thrillers, I thoroughly enjoyed Scarrow’s refreshing change of genre. My dad is a huge fan of Scarrow, however, I’m not sure how he’ll take to this since it’s about technology of which I doubt he’ll be interested in. I’m hoping he’ll try it out though. Saying that, this new genre is a great way to reach out to new readers, who may have not read any of his previous historical books.
Overall: I look forward to seeing if this is the start of a new series, as I would like to see how this enjoyable book, develops into more exciting stories.
Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated Zombicide: Black Plague in Tabletop Games
Jul 21, 2019 (Updated Jul 21, 2019)
Improved ruleset vs. the original game (3 more)
Fantasy theme
Excellent miniatures!
Improved components vs. the original game
Primarily a combat simulator (1 more)
Low complexity
Improved rules and components, plus the fantasy theme? I wish I discovered this before the original.....
My wife and I love the original Zombicide and have most of the content for the modern setting, minus Kickstarter exclusives and the guest artist characters. So when we found ourselves at the local ComicCon and there was a copy of Black Plague in the game library? We jumped all over that! Compared to the original game, they've fixed several of the rules that bugged us about the game, especially regarding shooting and resources. They've also upgraded the dashboard system to a plastic thing with pegs, which is so much better than the originals that we've seriously considered buying them on eBay and Photoshoping cards for the modern characters so that we can incorporate the upgraded dashboards. We did incorporate a lot of the rules changes into our own games. So if you want to get into Zombicide and can only pick one setting, make it this one.
Like I said, we love Zombicide. But there are a lot of people in the gaming community that feel it lacks something in the way of complexity and strategy. They're not necessarily wrong. It's primarily a tactics game: here's your mission and goal, here's the situation, go! Is it easy? Sometimes. Depends on how lucky you are. Sometimes the zombies spawn in ways and locations that play right into your hands. Sometimes the Abomination spawns right in front of you and you either die immediately or the game bogs down while you scramble to outmaneuver him or find the (scarce) resources to defeat him. It can be pretty random and frustrating at times, and there are people who avoid randomness like the plague in their gaming. But like I said, my wife and I love the system, and this is the best version of it that I've seen.
Like I said, we love Zombicide. But there are a lot of people in the gaming community that feel it lacks something in the way of complexity and strategy. They're not necessarily wrong. It's primarily a tactics game: here's your mission and goal, here's the situation, go! Is it easy? Sometimes. Depends on how lucky you are. Sometimes the zombies spawn in ways and locations that play right into your hands. Sometimes the Abomination spawns right in front of you and you either die immediately or the game bogs down while you scramble to outmaneuver him or find the (scarce) resources to defeat him. It can be pretty random and frustrating at times, and there are people who avoid randomness like the plague in their gaming. But like I said, my wife and I love the system, and this is the best version of it that I've seen.
Realistic Simulation of Financial Markets: Analyzing Market Behaviors by the Third Mode of Science: 2016
Hajime Kita, Kazuhisa Taniguchi and Yoshihiro Nakajima
Book
This book takes up unique agent-based approaches to solving problems related to stock and their...
Battery Power Pro
Utilities
App
The unique 3-step full cycle charge to maximize your battery life! Displaying remaining usage time...
Retro Soccer - Arcade Football
Games and Sports
App
Top 10 free game in over 70 countries! Build a world class squad and settle things on the pitch in...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated BioShock The Collection in Video Games
Jul 24, 2017
A collection of one of the greatest gaming series of our time
The first Bioshock is still my favourite by far. The story, atmosphere and voice acting all still hold up today. Although the graphics and mechanics feel fairly dated by today's standards, they sort of add to the aesthetic and charm of the game. The final boss fight is still terrible though.
The second Bioshock is the worst out of the three, but is still a decent ride and if it hadn't been a part of this particular series, it would probably have faired a lot better critically.
When I first played through the third game, I felt it was extremely overrated and while I still feel that it is, the game is more enjoyable now with no hype surrounding it. I actually appreciated this game more in a vacuum than I did at the time whilst it was being bombarded with critical praise.
The second Bioshock is the worst out of the three, but is still a decent ride and if it hadn't been a part of this particular series, it would probably have faired a lot better critically.
When I first played through the third game, I felt it was extremely overrated and while I still feel that it is, the game is more enjoyable now with no hype surrounding it. I actually appreciated this game more in a vacuum than I did at the time whilst it was being bombarded with critical praise.
Peter Shephard (2822 KP) rated The Quacks of Quedlinburg in Tabletop Games
May 24, 2019
Really fun, challenging risk-taking game
A pinch of mandrake, a few berry bombs, and a cricket. The ingredients for a perfect potion - or is it? Depending on how powerful the ingredients are, the same blend could make you a profit, or could blow up in your face!
An interesting drawing mechanism (identical shaped components in individual players bags) means you never know what you will pull out next. Playing at the same time as all the other players is mixed - sometimes a player can have a fun of luck, and get to a high scoring potion before you have even got to the teens, but the next round they might explode in the first few ingredients!
Very variable game, very fun, and very, very replayable. A game for everyones"gaming circle"!
An interesting drawing mechanism (identical shaped components in individual players bags) means you never know what you will pull out next. Playing at the same time as all the other players is mixed - sometimes a player can have a fun of luck, and get to a high scoring potion before you have even got to the teens, but the next round they might explode in the first few ingredients!
Very variable game, very fun, and very, very replayable. A game for everyones"gaming circle"!
Rhubarbio (27 KP) rated Endangered Orphans of Condyle Cove in Tabletop Games
May 25, 2019
Gameplay is dull (2 more)
Progression feels pointless
The rulebook is dreadful
A Sgallow Shell of a Game
I backed this game on Kickstarter in the belief that it would be an interesting game to play, particularly given the positive reviews it had received. Oh, was I wrong! Whilst the artwork for this game is superb, the game is strung together very poorly. The rulebook is nonesensical and when this was pointed out to the creators, they put together a video...which not only clarified the elemtbs that were extremely opaque, but also patronised the backers who had funded the project. Having played this game a number of times, I wanted to like it, but it has no substance; the decisionsade in the game don't feel as though they have consequence and I frankly didn't care to invest in the game or be bothered by the outcome...a feeling that was mirrored by my gaming group. This is a game best avoided.
Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) rated Terraforming Mars in Tabletop Games
Mar 7, 2018
Terraforming Mars review: Turn the “Red Planet” green with this amazing board game
But to find the fun, you have to give Terraforming Mars a chance—and the game does itself few favors when it comes to table appeal.
The game's icons look like vector clip art from the early 2000s, all glittering gold surfaces and apparent depth. The player mats are thin cardboard that provide just enough space to track the game's essential production levels using cubes; because they have no linen finish, the mats are also smooth. Even tiny bumps can dislodge these core gameplay elements, so you need to be extremely careful while playing. Speaking of cubes, those used for counting resources come coated in metallic paint, which has already begun to chip off some of the corners, giving them a slightly sad faux-luxury look.
Critic: Nate Anderson
Read the full review here: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/terraforming-mars-review/
The game's icons look like vector clip art from the early 2000s, all glittering gold surfaces and apparent depth. The player mats are thin cardboard that provide just enough space to track the game's essential production levels using cubes; because they have no linen finish, the mats are also smooth. Even tiny bumps can dislodge these core gameplay elements, so you need to be extremely careful while playing. Speaking of cubes, those used for counting resources come coated in metallic paint, which has already begun to chip off some of the corners, giving them a slightly sad faux-luxury look.
Critic: Nate Anderson
Read the full review here: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/terraforming-mars-review/
Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) rated Ora et Labora in Tabletop Games
Mar 7, 2018
Ora et Labora
Who woulda thought? In 2007 (way before I was gaming) amongst the many new games released at Spiel, one stuck out especially. A game where you try to build a well-balanced farm consisting of crops, pastures and growing your family. No, I am not talking about Farmville! (I get that question over and over from newbies….ugh), I’m talking about Agricola. A game that has now conjured up a slew of awards from “Best complex game” by the Spiel des Jahres to even dethroning Puerto Rico’s 5 year running of highest rated game on the Geek. Uwe Rosenberg, the designer of the now much loved Agricola, has recently released “Ora et Labora” – A hot-off-the-press / sold-out almost everywhere game that I have very quickly formed an extreme love/hate relationship with.
So the good is the game rocks!
Reviewer: Admin
See the full review here: http://boardofplaying.com/archives/1597
So the good is the game rocks!
Reviewer: Admin
See the full review here: http://boardofplaying.com/archives/1597